Inside the New York Yankees clubhouse with MLB.com beat writer Bryan Hoch.

Long: “It’s probably not as bad as it looks”

We could throw a number of glaring statistics out there about how the Yankees aren’t getting the job done, but let’s stick to this basic one — they are 6-for-59 with runners in scoring position after today’s 5-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, and no matter how you want to slice it, that’s not doing anyone much good.

“As frustrated as everybody is,” Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long said, “it’s probably not as bad as it looks.”

There’s a lot of focus on Alex Rodriguez, who broke into a home run trot when he launched that deep eighth inning drive off Logan Ondrusek that even Joe Girardi thought was going to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead. The wind knocked it down, and Long said he had no problem with Rodriguez’s approach in that at-bat, nor the first-pitch rips he took against Johnny Cueto in the third and sixth innings.

“Those are all fastballs, they’re all good pitches to hit, they’re all strikes,” Long said. “We talked about one thing, moving the ball to left-center field, because it looked like he was inside out a little bit. So he makes the adjustment, he crushes the ball, and he gets nothing to show for it.”

Raul Ibanez’s two-run homer off Cueto was their only successful hit in four RISP at-bats on Sunday. Yankees manager Joe Girardi seemed like he was out of answers as he met the media for the afternoon’s wrap-up.

“It’s strange to watch what we’ve watched the last week or so,” Girardi said. “You can probably go back even further than that. With these guys, the way they’re capable of swinging the bats and the runs that we’re scoring is kind of strange.”

Long said that he recalls having similar RISP-related conversations in 2009, and that’s likely. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this is the tenth straight year the Yankees have had at least an 0-for-20 string with RISP, so these trends do seem to come and go. And the Yankees can’t wait for this one to go away.

“There’s things happening now that we can overcome,” Long said. “We can’t say, ‘poor us.’ If anything, let’s fight against the world right now. Let’s go. That’s the message I want these players to have. I think that’s the best way to go about it.”

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8 Comments

Come on Robert. Don’t be so condescending. Where’s the discussion going on about the Yankees that is very positive at this point? I haven’t found it anywhere. Go on twitter tonight on game day and read the comments.

Bob, I told you before there are two things I love unconditionally, my wife and the Yankees. If anyone insults either, I can punch them in the nose or leave the room. Avoiding assault, I choose to leave the room. And I never said the current discussion (on Facebook. FYI) was positive!!!

Hey agree with both you guys. “It’s not so bad?” Who is Long kidding? It’s worst than bad. Trying to look for the silver lining when there isn’t any is delusional. The bottom line is wins and losses and where you are in the standings. Now they’re battling for last place in the east with the Sux and if they lose another game or two and the Sux win well we’re looking at the basement. The hole will be too deep to ever climb out of. Quit the talk management and players and start getting the job done on the field. One has to question the managing of the players and the club when the slump runs this long. Maybe a change in management will kick start the players if they can’t kick start themselves. With the high pay roll and the expectation every year for the Yankees what we’re seeing game after game is not good enough. Glad to see you’re still with us RobertG. Thought you had jumped ship.

Not as bad as it looks? Wow, sounds like he’s in denial. Or just like Joe, covering for the failures with spin.about a better tomorrow. I hope so, because with 25% of the season done they’re 1 game over 500 and going in the wrong direction. George, would be all over the media by now calling out the players, and behind the scenes warning the manager and the coaches that their jobs are on the line. It’s time to stop all of the Pollyanna talk and start winning.

Funny, cos even as an outsider who sucks at maths that 6 for 59 is just over .100 – which isn’t good. Long needs to stop exercising his jaw & start fixing the problems with the Yankees bats, may i suggest starting in the batting cage with a certain first baseman who can’t hit a ground ball anywhere west of second base!

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